Potato-digger.



W. I. SKINNER.

POTATO DIGGER. APPLIOATION FILED APB..1,1909.

961,545 Patented June 14, 1910.

. 2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

W I I J \srmua 6. m, Q I

r ATTORNEYS W. I. SKINNER.

POTATO BIGGER.

APPLICATION FILED APE. 1,1909.

961,545, Patented June 14,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES: iNVENTOR 5.. a W hM smzy W ATTORNEYS ANDREW u GR-MAM 00.,monumosmxmsws WASHINGTON. 0. u

nnrrnn sa arns Parana canton WILLIAM I. SKINNER, OF RICHFIELI), NEWYORK.

POTATO-BIGGER.

senses.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVILLIAM I. SKINNER, of Richfield, in the county ofOtsego and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Potato Diggers; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thecharacters of reference marked thereon, which form part of thisspecification.

The object of my present invention is to provide certain improvements inpotato dig gers, whereby they are made more efficient and desirable.

Figure 1 shows as to the portion of the figure to the right of line 1-1,a side elevation of the machine, with the near wheel removed, and as tothe portion of the figure to the left of line 11 a vertical centralsection with the parts beyond the plane of the section shown in sideelevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 3 is a detail ofthe mechanism on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 is a detail, inside-elevationview of the plow and portions of the shaker, showing a modified form ofconstruction or additional feature of a vine guard or a clearer. Fig. 5is a partial plan view of a portion of the shaker and portion of theplow, and showing particularly the additional feature of a vine guard orclearer.

Referring to the reference letters and figures in a more particulardescription, 10 indicates the main frame preferably of angle metalcontinuous in the general form of a bow as to the front portion, andprovided with bearing boxes by which it is mounted on the axle shaft 11.The axle shaft 11 runs free in the bearings and engages at each end inthe carrying and driving wheels 12. The tongue or pole 13 is secured tothe front bowed portion of the frame 10 and also at its rear end to theaxle 11. The drivers seat 14 is preferably mounted upon the rear end ofthe pole. The machine is provided with two plows or blades 1515, whichare set at an angle with reference to the longitudinal plane of themachine, and also at an angle with reference to the transverse plane ofthe machine. A plow frame 16 is provided, consisting of two parts, eachpart having a generally upright arm 16 and a generally horizontalSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 1, 1909.

Patented June 14, 191%.

Serial No. 487,209.

arm 16". The plows 15 are mounted on the lower end of the arms 16*. Theforward end of the arm 16 is hinged or pivoted at 17 to a crank 18secured on the rock shaft 19, having bearing in the main frame 10. Themembers 16 and 16 are stayed or braced by the brace bar 16 and the twoparts of the plow frame are connected by transverse rods and braces soas to form one substantially rigid frame. The main frame 10 is continuedin rearward extensions 1O between which the rear end of the plow frameis located, and which hold the rear end of the plow frame againstlateral swing or play. On top of the plow frame 16 is mounted insuitable bearings a rocking shaft 20 having cranks 21 at each endconnected by a link 22 with the main frame 10. These rock shaft,

cranks and links serve as the mechanism k for raising and lowering therear end of the plow frame, including the plows, and the rock shaft 20is operated by a hand lever 23 in connection with which there isprovided a catch 24 adapted to engage with the segmental rack 25,whereby the elevation of the plows may be adjusted and secured.

A spring 26 extending between the main frame and the lower end of thelever 23 serves to assist the operator in handling the plow frame andplows. The rock shaft 19 before mentioned is manually operated by thehand lever 30, in connection with which there is provided a catch 31adapted to engage with the segmental rack 32, whereby the position ofthe rock shaft and more particularly the pivot 17 of the forward end ofthe plow frame can be adjusted and secured. The plow frame is providedwith a pair of rearwardly projecting arms 35, which carry in theirprojecting ends the shaker shaft 36. This shaft is provided at each endwith a wheel or disk 37 carrying a crank pin 38. Connected with thecrank pin 38 are pitmen 39 cross-connected at their lower ends by asquare bar 4O. Secured rigidly to the bar 40 is a set of rearwardlyprojecting tines 41 and a set of forwardly projecting and downwardlycurved fingers 42. -Adjacent to the lower ends the pitmen 39 areprovided with an adjustable sleeve 43, and a connecting rod 44 extendingupwardly and forwardly connects an ear on the rear of the sleeve 43 withan ear on the lower side of the front end of the arm 35. This connectingrod 44 is secured by a joint which will allow it to vibrate inconnection with the movement of the pitmen 39. The upper forward end ofthe connecting rod 44 is secured in a slot which allows the rod to beadjusted so as to swing the lowered end of the pitmen 39 with the shakerand appurtenances mounted thereon. A spring 45 is provided connectingthe sleeve 43 on the pitman with the arm 35 at a point about the middle,which spring assists in supporting the shaker and its appurtenances andparticularly aiding in lifting the shaker in its movement. The shaft 36is provided with a sprocket wheel and is driven by means of sprocketchain 46 passing around the sprocket wheel or pinion on the shaft 36 anda sprocket wheel 47 mounted on a shaft in the forward portion of themain frame. The sprocket wheel 47 is provided with a small side pinion48 for driving the same, which pinion is driven by a sprocket chain 49passing around a large sprocket wheel 50 on the axle shaft 11.

It will be noted that the cranks 38 revolve with the shaft 36 in suchdirection that by reason of the arrangement of the inclined connectinglinks 44, the rear end of the shaker tines will have a movementsubstantially in the form of the ellipse shown at a in Fig. 1, while thebar 40 carrying the forward end of the shaker tines will have a movementin an elliptical form as indicated by the ellipse I), also in Fig. l.The movements in both cases will be in the directions indicated by thearrow heads.

Hinged on the rear end of each of the plows 15 is a rocking bar 52carrying a set of breaker fingers 53. These fingers 53 are interposed orintermediate of the shaker fingers 42, and are of a bow or curved formwith the convex side upward, and on account of the inclined position ofthe rocker bar 52 are progressively of somewhat different shape, wherebythey are adapted to occupy their several correct positions generally inthe plane of the fingers 42. At the outer ends the rocker bars 52 areprovided with upwardly projecting arms or cranks 54. The upper end ofthe crank 54 is connected by an adjustable connecting rod 55with thesleeve 43 before referred to on the pitmen 39. Thus when the shaker andpitmen are making the movement heretofore mentioned incident to therevolution of the shaft 36, the breaker fingers 53 will be vibrated upand down, their ends swinging substantially as indicated by the arrowsat the rear end of the fingers in Fig. 1. The combined movement of theshaker fingers 42 and the breaker fingers 53 is peculiar, in that thefingers 42 have an elliptical movement, and as the fingers pass upwardlyon the forward ends of the ellipse the breaker fingers are being swungdownwardly, and, vice versa, as the shaker fingers are moving downwardlyon their course at the rear end of the ellipse the breaker fingers arebeing swung upwardly. This produces a peculiar breaking and grindingmovement at this point, which is particularly effective in separatingthe potatoes from the dirt and prevent clogging from stones or weeds.

The plows 15 are shown at two independent devices with a passage betweentheir adjacent inner edges, which will permit the passage of roots orweeds which the edge of the plow has failed to sever. This is thepreferable form of plow, although it is obvious that a plow of a generalshovel form having a V-shaped scoop form at its rear end could beeffectively employed with the breaker tines and shaker above described.

In order to adjust the elevation and position of the shaker withreference to the plows and plow frame, the rearwardly projecting arms 35are provided, having slotted openings at the point of engagement withthe plow frame, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, and the forward end of thearms 35 is adjustably secured by having an eccentric washer 60 engagingin the slot 61, the washer being secured to the bar 16 by a bolt 62. Itis obvious that when the bolt is loosened, the arm 35 can be slidforwardly or rearwardly with reference to the plow frame, and that therear ends of the arms carrying the shaft 36 may be elevated or depressedby rotating the eccentric washer 60.

In order to straighten out and clear away the vines ahead of the plows15, there are provided at the front of the machine a pair of springteeth 70. These are mounted at their upper ends on a rocking shaft 71supported in bearings from the main frame, and the shaft is providedwith a crank 72 which is connected by a connecting rod 73 with a crankon the rock shaft 20 before referred to. It will be noted that thearrangement is such that when the plow frame is lowered the workingpoints of the teeth will be thrown down, and, vice versa, when the plowsare lifted the teeth or tines 70 will be lifted.

The outside breaker finger 42 of the shaker on each side is preferablyprovided with a rigid plate-like part 80 secured there to and projectingupwardly and forwardly therefrom in close proximity to the inner side ofthe plow frame bar 16 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. As the shaker makes theelliptical movement heretofore referred to, the vine guard and clearer80 partakes of the same elliptical movement. The guard 80 with itspeculiar movement is particularly efiective in maintaining the uprightmembers of the plow frame which carry the plow at their lower end freefrom becoming clogged with wads of vines, grass, roots or other fibrousmatter otherwise liable to accumulate thereon.

It is evident that modifications and changes in and from theconstruction herein described may be made without departing from myinvention as intended to be covered. by the appended claims.

WVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a plow of a set of hinged rearwardly projectingbreaker fingers, means for vibrating the breaker fingers, a shakerhaving forwardly projecting fingers interposed between the breakerfingers, and means for vibrating the shaker and shaker fingers in unisonwith said breaker fingers, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in a potato digger of a main frame supported andcarried by a pair of wheels, a plow frame and means for raising andlowering the plow frame with reference to the main frame at the rearend, a plow carried by the plow frame, a shaker, rearwardly projectingarms mounted on and adjustable with the plow frame and carrying theshaker and shaker operating mechanism, whereby the shaker and plow aresimultaneously adjusted by the vertical movement of said plow frame,said arms having means for adjusting them longitudinally and angularlywith reference to the plow frame, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination in a potato digger of a main frame supported andcarried on a pair of wheels, a plow frame of angular form havinggenerally upright parts at its rear end and generally horizontal partsprojecting forwardly with reference to the main frame, and hinged attheir forward ends with reference to the main frame, means for raisingand lowering the hinging points of the plow frame, means for raising andlow ering the rear end of the plow frame, plows carried by the generallyupright parts of the plow frame, and a shaker and shaker mechanismcarried by said plow frame and adjustable therewith to maintaincooperating relation with said plows.

4. The combination in a potato digger of .a plow consisting of twoseparate parts arranged angularly with reference to each other on thetransverse line of the plows, a set of hinged rearwardly projectingbreaker fingers mounted on the rear end of each plow part, a commonshaker for both plow parts having forwardly projecting fingersinterposed between the breaker fingers, and means for vibrating theshaker and shaker fingers, and means for vibrating the breaker fingers,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination in a potato digger of a main frame, an independentlyadjustable plow frame, a plow carried by the plow frame, a rocking barhaving a set of rearwardly projecting and curved breaker fingers, meansfor vibrating the breaker fingers, and a shaker cooperating with theplow and breaker fingers, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination in a potato digger of a plow consisting of two partsarranged an gularly with reference to each other on the transverse line,a rocking bar mounted on and hinged to the rear of each part of the plowcarrying a set of rearwardly and upwardly projecting curved fingers, ashaker having tines and a set of forwardly projecting and downwardlycurved fingers interposed between the breaker fingers, means forvibrating the breaker fingers with their rear ends describing the arc ofa circle, and means for operating the shaker and shaker fingers throughthe general course of a form of an ellipse, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination in a potato digger of a plow and plow frame carryingthe plow, having portions extending upwardly from the plow, a shakerbehind the plow, means for vibrating the shaker, and a vine guard andclearer consisting of a plate-like member connected with the shaker andpartaking of the motion thereof, and arranged ad jacent to the plowframe immediately above the plow, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination in a potato digger of a frame, a plow frame carryingthe plow having bars projecting upwardly from the plow, a shakerarranged at the rear of the plow, means for moving the shaker in anelliptical path, and a vine guard and clearer consisting of a plate-likepart secured to and partaking of the movement of the shaker, and locatedimmediately above the plow adjacent to the plow frame bar, substantiallyas set forth.

In witness whereof, I have afliXed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses, this 26th day of March, 1909.

WILLIAM I. SKINNER.

Witnesses:

C. H. SKINNER, EMMA S. Hnssn.

